Comments on: name that sound!

Question: name that sound!

Koko — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:42:08 -0800

What did they use to make that fuzzy, rattly percussion sound in the Sanford & Son theme? You can hear it here, and it's sampled and repeated in MIA's song U.R.A.Q.T. (click the audio symbol next to the title to hear a sample), and it's also used briefly in Simon & Garfunkel's The Boxer, but I can't find a sound file of that.

What is making that sound??

By: shadow vector

shadow vector — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:47:37 -0800

Sounds to me like one of these.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:50:45 -0800

I believe that's a bass harmonica. You can hear The Boxer here.

By: Koko

Koko — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:55:51 -0800

That's it! Thanks!

By: mr_roboto

mr_roboto — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:59:05 -0800

You mean the percussion sound at the very end of that wav file? Isn't that a vibraslap?

By: Koko

Koko — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:09:27 -0800

No, the vibraslap is too rattly, and has no range. I do think it's a bass harmonica, or something similar. It's heavily distorted, so it's kind of hard to tell.

By: xil

xil — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:14:12 -0800

Ah, you meant the sound that wasn't percussion? (That's OK, it's certainly the most distinctive sound in the song, and the one I was wondering about too...)

By: GaelFC

GaelFC — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:19:22 -0800

Was it on MeFi that someone posted their made-up lyrics to that theme? I think of them everytime I hear the theme...

Fred Sanford had some junk!
And he had a son Lamont, and he drove the truck!

Try singing it sometime, you know the tune...

By: smoothhickory

smoothhickory — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:29:20 -0800

I have no clue but thanks reminding me of the Sanford and Son theme. That song is a work of art, love the Hammond organ.

By: Henry C. Mabuse

Henry C. Mabuse — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:18:30 -0800

Why didn't you ask your friend, that Australian, who is an audio engineer, girl? He would have known. In fact he does know, and he's wearing a sad face.

By: Pollomacho

Pollomacho — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 05:44:41 -0800

FYI - the Sanford and Son theme is a Quincy Jones tune called The Streetbeater.

By: Koko

Koko — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:36:03 -0800

Yeah, I said percussion, but I guess what I meant was rhythm. Or something.